Retail

Leadership for Retail

Consumers today expect a great customer experience that utilizes the latest digital technologies with seamless execution across channels and media. A big forward-looking vision is required in order to build out solutions that can deliver the experience. The roadmap to that vision must ensure wise and timely investments to build or buy the solutions needed to deliver. Retailers often fall short in their capabilities and integration of their systems. Integration of emerging technologies at an accelerated pace requires capabilities and staff beyond the scope of existing resources. Fortium has innovative, objective leaders with blue-chip retail executive experience leading vision, strategy roadmaps, decision-making and driving the transformation.

Fortium Retail Services

Digital Transformation In our “Mobile first” world, digital marketing will be driven by Mobile and include Social Commerce, and loyalty. Mobile must be seamlessly integrated with your retail enterprise systems and the growing global ecosystem that is IoT – the Internet of Things. Unleash your potential. We can lead you down the path of digital transformation.

Big Data & Internet-of-Things (IoT) More than two buzzwords you can’t escape, these are now at the heart and soul of Retail, together with omnichannel capability. Consumers are driving how they want to interact with your brand and to know your customers better than your competitors, gathering and enriching high-quality customer data is a top priority. Providing contextualized customer experiences is becoming increasingly key, even in real-time. Big data isn’t very valuable until it becomes actionable. Data science and advanced analytics are quickly earning their way into a retailer’s arsenal of tools and we have the experience to guide you in selecting the most valuable tools for your organization to reap big results.

Data Science: Analytics & Optimization Data science is real as are predictive and cognitive analytics. Blending the art and science of data and analytics requires laser focus and finesse. Retailers are contemplating the leaders, challengers and visionaries on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Advanced Analytics Platforms. We can share experiences and case studies on how retailers are making tool selections, structuring their data science teams and initiatives to optimize merchandising, revenue, customer outcomes and win.

Omnichannel Convergence Order from anywhere, fulfill from anywhere. Integration of selling channels continues as a top retail business priority to support a seamless shopping experience across touchpoints — to win, serve, and retain customers. Doing omnichannel right involves symbiotic integration of merchandising, inventory management, supply chain data and operations to optimize customer order fulfillment. Retailers are taking major steps to upgrade point-of-sale (POS) systems to reduce exposure to legacy store processes.

Unified Commerce Convergence is next. The vision is for e-commerce, mobile, and POS to converge with selling systems that share common merchandise data with engines for tax, pricing, and promotions. Our practitioners can help you plan and execute omnichannel Convergence right or even advance your current capabilities.

Data Strategy/Roadmap Data is a major corporate asset. To win, senior executives must commit to, and align on the need for, an enterprise data strategy. We can guide you through a self-assessment of where you are on your enterprise data journey using industry proven maturity models. Then with an understanding of your data ecosystem and challenges, together we devise a pragmatic path forward to get the most value out of your data by planning, creating or advancing your modern data architecture.

Program Direction / Transformation

We offer unparalleled experience in directing major initiatives to transform the business and expedite quality delivery for Fortune 100 and middle-market retailers. We also offer help building and positioning your PMO as an investment arm to measure ROI on a portfolio of strategic projects and investments. Fortium’s experienced CIO Partners can help you choose the right model for your organization and culture - whether it is simply to guide and govern, or to drive all major enterprise initiatives. We can also “stand up” the PMO, reposition it or evolve its maturity.

IT Strategic Plan / Roadmap is invaluable in preparing for high-ROI prioritized technology investments that are time-phased over a three-year period typically. We begin with an assessment of IT applications, data, infrastructure, organization, and the partnership with the business. This helps guide technology and non-tech­nology decisions to positively impact operations going forward.

Solution Selection is often the most important financial investment a retailer makes in technology. Fortium couples best-practice selection process and tools with effective decision-making facilitation to lead the company to a solution it owns and embraces.

Interim IT Leadership during transition within the IT organization can have dramatic impact, often while major systems initiatives are in process. Fortium provides highly experienced CIO IT leader­s on an interim basis to deliver results, smooth the road and prepare for the permanent hire.

Blue-Chip Retail, all Segments, all Sizes

Our Fortium Retail Partners have been CIO / IT executives at top retailers:

Neiman Marcus

Gap Inc.

Michaels Stores

True Value

The Pantry / Kangaroo Express

We’ve also done major consulting for Target, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Children’s Place, Brooks Brothers, Zale, J Crew, Jos. A. Bank, and JC Penney. We also bring this blue-chip experience to many middle-market retailers who have been, and are, our clients.

We’ve served all segments of Retail domestically, and internationally: